Catcher for fruit and nut gatherers



w. L. lsoM' 2,436,648

CATCHER FOR FRUIT AND NUT GATHERERS Filed Jan. 26, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1v jbjETBR walterl. .Z'som BY WM ATTO RN EYS Feb. 24, 1943. w

CATCHER \FOR FRUIT AND NUT GATHERERS 1.. ISOM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' FiledJan. 26, 194s INVENTdR walferllsom M mi ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 24, 1948UNITED HSTATES "PATENT OFFICE a 2,436,648 osrornm FOR FRUIT AND NUTGA'rnERERs 7 Walter L. Isorn, Crows Landing, Calif. Application January26, 1946, Serial No. 643,639

' 3 Claims. (01. 56-329) 7 This invention relates to, and it is anobject to provide, an improved walnut harvester operative to catch thenuts as knocked from a tree, and to then convey such nuts for discharge.into a transport vehicle. L f

Another object of, this invention is. to provide a walnut harvesterwhichcomprisesa pair of relatively large-size, wheel supported conveyor bedsadapted to be disposed onopposite sides of the trunk of a tree so as tocatch nutsknocked therefrom; one of said conveyor beds being. fittedwith longitudinally extendingnut deflector hoods arranged to spanthegapsbetweenthe.adjacent sides of the conveyor beds ahead-andto the rearA further object is to provide each of thenut catching conveyor bedswith acarry-oif conveyor system arranged to receive, nuts from theconveyor bed and to deliver them to an elevated point for discharge intoatransport vehicle. An additional object of the present invention is toprovide a walnut harvester,.as in the preceding paragraph, in which saidcarry-off system .includes a blo er arranged to separate-leaves andtrash from the nuts inadvance of their discharge from the harvester.

A further object of the inventionisto produce a simple and inexpensivedevice, and yet. one which will be exceedingly effective-for the purposefor which it is designed. 1 7

These objects are accomplished such structure and relative arrangementof parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the followingspecification and claims. I

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding.parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a. plan view of the harvester as in.

use; one of the.conveyor beds being broken to facilitate disclosure.

Figure 2 is a sid elevation of one of thew kneel.

supported conveyor, beds and' the corresponding carry-off conveyorsystem.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary transverse elevation, partly in section,illustrating the slidably mounted hoods which span the'gaps betweenadjacent sides of the conveyor beds when the"harvester 'is in by meansof frame includes longitudinally disposed beams 31 suitably supported bybolsters 38 from the axle 2a on the ends of which are journaledsupporting wheels 2. On the longitudinally disposed beams are aplurality of transversely disposed cross beams 39. At the front end ofthe beams3l ther are provided downward projecting brackets 40 to whichis connected a draft tongue 3 arranged for connection with a tractor 4.

As the harvesting mechanisms mounted on the frames I are alike, with theexception of a hood arrangement, which will hereinafter be described indetail, a description of only one of such mechanisms will sufilce.

Each frame I supports a power driven conveyor bed, indicated generallyat 5, and which conveyor bed includes a plurality of power drivenendless drapers 6 disposed in adjacent side by side relation and allrunning lengthwise of said frame.

The upper runs of the endless drapers 6 are carbed 5 with a pair 01longitudinally extending,

laterally shiftable nut deflector hoods l I carried on the outer endportions of corresponding pairs of slid beams or rods 12, whereby saidhoods may be slid from an inoperative position, as shown in dotted linesin Fig. 3, to an operative position, as shown in :full lines in saidfigure, spanning the gaps [3 between adjacent sides of the respectiveconveyor beds 5 ahead and to the rear of the tree trunkllil. The sliderods l2 run through guides 14 adjacentthe inner ends and rest onrollers'l5 adjacent their outer ends. When thehoods II are in'cperativ'eposition they deflect onto the conveyor beds 5 the n'utswhich would 45,otherwise dropfthroughthei gaps l3 onto the ground.

The nuts as knocked from the tree by an suitable shaker means tauonto'the conveyor beds 5 which are driven 'l'n'the' direction shownbythe arrows A in Fig. l' toward the forward end of the frames At thefdrwardend of each frame I the "nuts fall into atransversely extendingtrough l6,'and are therein fed, by an auger conveyor or thelike ll,"toward-the laterally outer end of l-: u'shriela r l v p t reed c etrbugn'the nuts fall from the latter onto the lower end of a rearwardlyand upwardly inclined, endless elevator conveyor I8 which extends alongthe outside of, and is mounted in connection with, the main frame I. Theendless elevator conveyor l8 terminates short of the rear end of themain frame, and discharges downwardly onto the lower end of anotherendless elevator conveyor l9 mounted in rearwardly inclined position onthe rear end portion of the main frame. The distance between the upperdischarge end D of the elevator conveyor l8 and the lower receiving endR of the elevator conveyor 19 is substantial, and a blower or fan 20 ismounted in connection with the main frame I in position to create ablast of air above and substantially parallel to the elevator conveyor[9 and through the stream of nuts falling onto the lower end of thesame. This stream of air separates leaves and trash from the nuts, andsuch leaves and trash are discharged laterally of the main frame bymeans of a deflector 2| against which the air blast impinges.

From the upper end of the elevator conveyor l9, which is disposed somedistance to the rear of the main frame. I, said elevator conveyordischarges into a two-wheel trailer 22 releasably coupled by a hitch 23to a bracket 24 fixed on the main frame I adjacent the rear thereof.When one trailer 22 is filled with nuts, it is detached and anothertrailer replaced.

The endless drapers 6 of the conveyor bed 5 on each main frame;together. with the described conveyor system associated therewith, aredriven from an engine 25 suspended from the main frame. The driveconnections from said engine comprise the following:

The engine 25 drives a countershaft 26 by means of an endless belt 21connected in driving relation with a pulley 4| fixed to said shaft 26.Another pulley 42 is fixed to the countershaft 23 d a belt connects suchpulley with a pulley '33 the shaft 44 of the fan or blower 29. 'Anendless chain 28 connects a sprocket 45 on the countershaft ZB'With asprocket 46 on a shaft 31! ahead thereof. Another endless chain 3|connects a sprocket 4'! on the shaft 30 with a sprocket 48 on a frontdrive shaft 32 which is common to all of the endless 'drapers 6. Thedrive shaft 33 ofthe auger conveyor H is driven by a chain 35 whichconnects a sprocket 49 on the shaft 32 in driving relation with asprocket 50 on the shaft 33. The shaft 34 f the elevator conveyor i8 isdriven by a chain connecting a sprocket 52 on 4 necessity of recovery ofsuch nuts from the ground.

For movement or transport of the frame supported conveyor beds 5 andcorresponding conveyor systems from one tree to another, the nutdeflector hoods H are first retracted to their inoperative position andthen both tractors 4 are advanced until the conveyor beds 5 are disposedin proper nut receiving position below the next tree, whereuponharvesting of the nuts therefrom is effected in the manner described,but only after the hoods I l have been returned to position overhangingthe gaps l3.

In order to facilitate adjustment of the heads H each one is providedwith a handle rod Ila Which.projects parallel to beams l2 across thecorresponding frame I some distance. By this means, the heads may bemoved to and from position by an operator standing on the far side ofthe harvester.

F'romthe foregoing description it will be readily seen that there hasbeen produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of theinvention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredGQnstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations from suchdetail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit ofthe invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the fol-. lowing is claimed as newand useful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

1. A catcher for nuts comprising a substantially horizontal wheelsupported frame, a plurality of longitudinally disposed endlessdraperssupported on the frame and being movablein one direction to a point ofdischarge, an auger conveyor supported on the frame at one end of and,transversely of the drapers and into which conveyor the drapersdischarge, an elevator conveyor mounted on the frame along side of thedrapers and being movable to a point of dise. and on o which. eleva orco eyor the auger conveyor discharges. and means carried on the frameand operably connected with said the shaft 33 in driving relation with asprocket 53 on the shaft 34 comprises a trough 5;! supported by abracket 55 from the forward end ofthe frame I. In this trough is anendless cqnveyor belt 56. mounted in driving relation about the shaft 34at its lower end and about a shaft 51; journaled in the upper end ofsuch trough. The elevator conveyor l9 comprises a trough 58 supported ona bracket 59 fixed to the rear end of the frame I. In this trough is anendless conveyor belt 60 mounted in driving relation about a shaft 6!journaled in the lower or receiving end- B. of the trough 53 and a shaft82 journaled in the up er end U of the trough. The shaft BI is driven bya, belt 36 connected in driving relation between a pulley G3 on theshaft 57 and a pulley 64 on the shaft 6|.

With my improved walnut harvester, including the separate butcooperative conveyor beds and corresponding conveyor systems, walnutscan be harvested from the trees in a practical and efdcient manner,economically, and without the The elevator conveyor I 8; 1;;

drapers and conveyors to drive the same.

2. A catcher as in claim 1 including a, second elevator conveyor carriedby the frame, the discharge end of said first name-d elevator conveyorand the receiving end of the second named elevator conveyor being spacedapart vertically, a fan supported on the frame and having its. dischargeend directed toward the space between d e e or c e or means in dr v hfan,

d a e o ounted o th frame abov h E BEW S QF P The following referencesare of record in the le of this patent:

Number Name Date 1,445,596 Johnston Feb, 13, 1923 1,453,081 Cook L Nov.6, 1923 2 3 6 3 1 P s, ac is 5

